I have been teaching in Serbia for 2 years now. I have had discussions with teachers who have worked in the Serbian parts of Bosnia and Kosovo. Still haven't been able to find anyone who has taught in Albania or the Albanian part of Kosovo.

It is unlikely that you can find a job from outside the Balkans without connections. Once here, there are quite a few possibilities, but keep in mind, the economy here is very weak.

There is also a very strong preference for British English at the universities and many language schools. However, most younger students seem to prefer the American version.

Without a degree, getting hired by a university or a reputable language school would be nearly impossible, but private lessons and other language schools could keep you going.

A friend of mine was offered an Albanian university position through English Language Fellows (http://elf.georgetown.edu/), sponsored by the good ol' US Department of State. 10-month contracts, MA TESOL required.

Plenty of people teach English in the Balkans. Most of them are nationals of the country they are teaching in and busy working in three jobs to try to earn enough to live. Too busy teaching to post on a forum like this !

I teach in Bosnia, town pop. is about 80,000. My furnished flat is modern and costs about 100 euros/mo. I'm working fulltime for peanuts but the cost of living here is not expensive. Found this job thru a TEFL school.

I'm teaching in Macedonia. Seems like most of the language teachers here are locals. Also, the native speaker teachers that I've met to seem to have gotten their jobs after getting here. It seems like you need to have contacts. I guess it's like that in a lot of places!

I am retired from the US Dept of State and, first, the Teaching Fellows have nothing to do with the CIA. That is silly talk. Please note that the CIA does have a proper role with the knowledge of the host country in most places. It sometimes seems silly to hear what the general public says and thinks about those guys.

Second, the English fellows program is great but they want people with masters in ESL, linguistics, or similar qualifications. I suspect they attract academic types with their elite qualifications, but also people with little real world experience. Theyd on't really teach themselves, I think.

There are a lot more people who speak good English in Albania then in a lot of other places I've been. Few people speak Ship (Albanian) and so most people learn more than one language - usually Italian and English. There is a great hash house harrier group there - family friendly too - and lots of Albanians improve their English there. There are several English schools in Tirana but nothing like you see in Thailand or Vietnam, for example. Unlike so many other places people seem to have enough desire to learn Italian, English and sometimes Greek on their own and in their public schools without a lot of native speaker help. That is my observation - -

Second, the English fellows program is great but they want people with masters in ESL, linguistics, or similar qualifications. I suspect they attract academic types with their elite qualifications, but also people with little real world experience.

I have an MA TESL/TEFL from an upscale British uni - and 12+ year of hands-on experience teaching language. What about post-grad quals indicates that their holders don't have 'real world experience?' I beg to differ.